“A lot of research went into the film as the producers wanted to tell a truthful story,” says Raz. “It will shatter many myths created around the Maharaja. He had an aura of a king but was much more than just that,” he adds.

Satinder Sartaaj plays the title role of Maharaja Duleep Singh (Poster: Facebook/Kavi Raz)

‘The Black Prince’ is a fascinating, complex, and tragic film, says director-writer Kavi Raz. “The film presents the innermost struggles of Maharaja Duleep Singh to find out who he was,” he says.

Kavi Raz is a writer, actor, director, and producer. He grew up in England and knew about the Maharaja. Producers of the film were thinking of a project on Duleep Singh, and contacted Kavi Raz for it. “Being a part of the film brought me closer to Duleep Singh,” he says.

Kavi Raz at the film screening in Chandigarh on Friday.
(HT Photo)

“A lot of research went into the film as the producers wanted to tell a truthful story,” says Raz. “It will shatter many myths created around the Maharaja. He had an aura of a king but was much more than just that,” he adds.

On Satinder Sartaaj, who plays Maharaja Duleep Singh in the film, Raz says, “We wanted a new actor. At first I wasn’t sure if Sartaaj could do it. He was a non-actor and did not have any training in acting. But when I met him, I was convinced of his intellect. I felt that he could do it, and he has done a wonderful job.”

“I felt a personal connection with the story,” says Kavi, adding, “The film tells the story of the Maharaja finding his soul, heart and existence.”

“It is a period film and intends to correct the history. Many myths have been taken up in the film. For instance, Christianity wasn’t Duleep Singh’s choice. It was forced upon him. He didn’t even know that he was a king until he met his mother,” he says.

“We faced a few challenges. Time was a big concern. Also, we wanted to make a film that documents all information we have. It took around three-and-half-year to make the film. Finding locations was another challenging task,” he says.

“Everyone in the cast and crew had fun during the making. There were many ‘behind the scenes’ moments. Sartaaj would usually start singing and the whole crew would dance. We had a happy-go-lucky team,” he adds.

On creative liberty, he says, “As a director, I had the freedom to tell the story. There were things that I wanted to do in a different way. Producers wanted to document the entire life of the Maharaja while I was keen to pick a particular part that would show who he was. But it has come out to be a wonderful film.”

Sofia Duleep Singh, the Maharaja’s daughter is famous for her part in the suffragette movement in England. Kavi says that he wants to make a film on her as well.

Currently, Kavi is working on another period film, based on Indian independence, “which is a sort of a follow up on The Black Prince.”